The Cambria freeman. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1867-1938, 1887-11-11
n eaithy Indians.

n VlSltOF 10 the Usage reservation, d,
idaho. il he has a mind 20 study the
human race under varying conditions,
inds much of interest. He is inter
gr.Ea1s among the aristocrats. The
Indians are about the only example
now left in the United States os q real
aristOcracy. They 10 not depend upou
government raIions, as do the Chsy-
eunss and others, at all, but have
enough as their own undisputed proper
" TO make them the wealrhiest COM
muni.y in the country. Besides the
land OF the reservation, which belongs
to them by q title hard to asSail. they
have about SI,OO0.0 900 bearing 3 per
cent interest n the hands OF the GOV
erument. They are paid about $3.50. 600
year ia cash. The entire numbers
only GO9, 50 hat they are actually the
richest body of people We nave.
The OSages have all the attributes of
an aristOcracy. They OVID the laud, do
absolutely no work, have plenty Of
money know nothing of barter and sale,
and therefore hot much OF the meanness
which chaTacJeriZss all commercial
classes. They envy nobody, anG are
satisfied with themselves aud their Gus
toms. With the virtues % aTistOcracy,
they have its vices With generosity.
perft ctiOu. Though magnificent pas
lures lie before them for miles, few Of
them take the trouble To own cattle. the
majority preierIing 10 buy beef already
slaughtered and cut up from the trad
eTs. They are not even hunters and
lsheTS. Their lives are spent in lying
around under tents aud shanties, e ting
10 IepietiOn, and filling their blood with
Impurities which they do not take eXer-
else enough to get rid OF. al habits
have brought on bronchial and scrOfu-
ious diseases, which are helping to still
further reduce their numbers. They
ba.e no faith in white physicians, and
their own medicine msn have AS much
Influence as 4 hundred years ago.
Ihe government puts a premium on
reproduction by the system or distri5U-
ton adopted. Each member OF the
tribe. Including women and children.
receives abou. Sl60 every year. The
more wives and cbildr9n az Usage has.
therefore, the richer Re is 10 spite Of
this encouragement, the tribe - drcreas-
lag. y white physician at the agency
estimates that tts rae Of decrease is
no. less than ; per cent p year among
the full blO1ds. The half breeds are
increasing. / can be a. once Ieckuned
that in another halt century the full
hloods VIII have gone and The splendid
InheTItance will be in the possession OF
white meI and their children, even l.
no new policy Is adopted by ths govern
mHnt 70 bas,en the catastrophe.
The full hoods are usaTlV all honest
and manly in th IT way. III 7 have an
Idea that everything on the reservation
belongs 10 them, and they go behind
tie counters and among the goods of
the post traders IS freely as though they
We're propr!etors- / ? 70 4 certain POiut
they understand bus:ness-debit and
credit-but not much beyond the sim
piest forms. As might bs expected,
cnsy are caronicaIly IN debt. They
want To buy everything they see, and
think little of prices, anu give away as
readily as they buy. Other tribes not
so well provided with worldly goods are
fond OF visiting The Osages, and on
these occasions The custom of smoking
presents works 10 the advantage of The
wealthier. Several hundred ponies and
large amounts of various property have
thus been given u the K4Ys and other
poorer tribes wi hin few years.
Can the Ossg-s be civilized? OF
course they can. They are not civilized.
TO be sure. They speak little Engiish'
ana wear the blanket and breech clout :
allow theI7 women 10 die by scores in
childbirth, and compel them to do all
the work they are too lazy 20 raise
cattle when pasture and feed cost
neither money nor work they keep up
the dances and paiuts, and cut their
hair IN helmet fashion. All these
things they do. but they could be easily
Taught to adopt the customs of cIvilIza-
i'm - Il
cslly applied would make them equal
to the Cherokees in civilization and
superior Il them 10 force OF cbaracLer
-hNHSnS Gin ITnsS